What I am about to tell you is going to blow your mind. You might want to sit down.
Ok here goes… Families are getting PAID TO PARK at select Australian airports thanks to a collaboration between two companies Ford and Carhood.
No this isn’t a dream…it is for real.
Let me tell you more…
Thanks to Ford and Carhood (A Car Sharing Innovator recently featured on “The Shark Tank”) families can drive their car to the airport in Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney (with plans to expand nationwide)… park their car for FREE… use a kerb-side chauffeur to drop them off at the airport… and earn money while they are away on holidays!
Oh and did we mention that when you collect your car it will be CLEANED inside and out for you? Bye-bye crumbs in the back seat!
How it works and what’s the catch:
Only the open minded need apply. Your car will be shared with other members of the Carhood community for hire but you will be PAID for that hire.
For those that worry, Carhood has an insurance program in place to protect your car from any unforeseen damages and like a normal hire car situation photos are taken of the vehicle before and after hire. Kilometer restrictions are also in place to protect from wear and tear.
When I think about this, it reminds me of a holiday house swap program, except that in this case you have the opportunity to earn money and it’s amazingly convenient.
Better yet, if you own a Ford and are willing to share your car with others while you are away, you can gain some extra benefits including an increased revenue share (35 per cent up from 25 per cent) when your car gets hired, along with the opportunity to hire one of Ford’s fleet cars at a 10 per cent rental discount. They have recently added dozens of family friendly cars for hire in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne.
Families who travel know that there is no trickier thing than trying to get children who still use carseats (along with all their gear) to the airport. It really is a massive mobility problem. If you’ve never done it, let me tell you why…
To get to the airport with small children in tow, you either have to:
1. Drive your car and and pay the high price to park.
2. Catch a taxi but only after removing your car seats from your car AND installing them into the taxi (all while the meter is running) just to get you to the airport and ready for you to uninstall them again.
3. Bribe a friend or family member to drive to your house, park their car and chauffeur the family to the airport in your car… and that only works if you can all fit in the one car.
4. Catch public transport – *shudder*….all that gear + children + time before taking off it’s doable but too exhausting to even think about. Hat’s off to those that do this.
5. Stay home. I’m pretty sure that the cost and effort to get going is one of the reasons that some families don’t even attempt the journey.
Ford and Carhood have termed their partnership the “Smart Mobility Plan”. This is a genius idea for open minded families who are keen to give something new and innovative a try. It’s a pretty radical move for a car company to back; but at the same time, it’s great to see someone thinking outside the box.
Ford have been quoted as saying, “Smart Mobility is just the start”.
They have their sights on being the leaders in connectivity, autonomous vehicles (wowsers!), improving the customer experience and data and analytics. Which basically for us means that even more interesting developments are yet to come… it’s great to live in such exciting times!
DETAILS
For more information regarding Ford, its products worldwide or Ford Motor Credit Company, visit www.corporate.ford.com.
Also check out www.carhood.com.au for further details on Ford’s Smart Mobility Plan.
Please note: This is not a sponsored post, just something we spotted and felt was worthy of a share. All opinions are our own and correct at the time of publication.
